Hayden Panettiere, the actress known for her roles as Claire Bennet in the NBC series "Heroes" and Juliette Barnes in the musical drama "Nashville," was found dead Sunday afternoon in Greenville, South Carolina. She was 36. Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse opioid overdoses, was found on a mattress in the apartment where she was staying, according to TMZ.
Detectives responded to the apartment block after receiving a 911 call from an acquaintance describing Panettiere as unresponsive. Dispatch audio indicated she was initially described as suffering from cardiac arrest, with a later comment suggesting a suspected overdose. Officers and paramedics attempted life-saving measures, but Panettiere was pronounced dead at the scene approximately 40 minutes after the 911 call.
The Greenville Police Department and the Greenville County Coroner's Office are investigating the death. Preliminary findings have not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. No official cause of death has been announced.
Just three months prior to her death, Panettiere expressed optimism about her future in an interview promoting her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning." She told Jay Shetty on his "On Purpose" podcast that she felt she had "shaken off all of this darkness and this negativity" and was looking forward to "exciting possibilities."
"I feel like I have a lot more life to live," she said during the May interview. "That means that I’ve closed one door and another door is opened and I can feel it opened and I can feel all the... possibilities, all the exciting possibilities."
Panettiere, who would have turned 37 later in the week, also had early roles in "Remember the Titans" and provided the voice for Dot in Pixar's "A Bug's Life." She earned two Golden Globe nominations for her work on "Nashville," and had 11 songs chart on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs list. Her film credits include "Scream 4" and "Scream VI."
She leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whose father is Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko. Panettiere had previously given full custody of their daughter to Klitschko.
Representatives for Panettiere released a statement mourning her loss: "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her - and to the millions who watched her onscreen."